Appearing at a Young Americans for Freedom event at East Tennessee State University in March, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Donald Trump would be “delusional” if he chose him to be his running mate, and the pick would be a sign “you need to get them psychiatric help.”
At the March 31 event, an audience member asked Gingrich if he would accept the offer if Donald Trump asked him to run as his running mate. Gingrich responded that “there are points when your candidate can be so delusional that you need to get them psychiatric help. I think that would be one of them.” Gingrich then went on to tout Ohio Gov. John Kasich as “the most obvious” vice presidential pick. The Washington Examiner reported Gingrich’s comments in an April 1 story.
Fox News recently suspended Gingrich from his position as a contributor to the network “due to the intense media speculation about Gingrich’s potential selection” as Trump’s running mate. Gingrich has been repeatedly mentioned on Fox as a possible vice presidential selection, even appearing on the network in his capacity as a pundit to discuss speculation about his future. He did so even after the Fox announcement.
Host Sean Hannity said, “I wouldn’t be happy with anyone but Newt” as Trump’s running mate.
In another exchange at the Young Americans event, Gingrich said that “if Trump wins, you will not be able to know any given morning what he’s going to do, because he won’t know any given morning what he’s going to do.”